IN MY HEAD

Chiwetel Ejiofor

English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor captured by the lens of Serge Leblon, for MR PORTER.

In the interview, Ejiofor talks about being excited to turn 40, and also drop some gems about life

“Somewhere, in my late twenties or early thirties, I lost track of where one was supposed to be doing what, in the grand scheme of life,” he says. “And then you’re just existing, and doing your thing, as and when you want.” He thinks he is still too close to his thirties to be able to reflect on them, but he has, “for a long time, enjoyed not being in my twenties any more. Because that was such a bizarre time, just trying to fit everything together and construct a person.”

In contrast, the coming decade, between 40 and 50, looks good. “It’s a fascinating age, potentially the most interesting age to be,” he says. “It feels like you’re right at the beginning of the most important part of your life.” This even applies to his sense of style, which he admits is still a work in progress. “I think I’m maybe still in a very nascent, early development stage,” he says. When he’s sent a suit for an awards ceremony, he “has questions”. “But like I say, I hope to continue in that vein, to further discover myself. That’s why it could be my decade.”